The first thing an incoming Democratic President should do in 2009? Pardon George W. Bush. … [Read more...] about Passive-Aggressive Pardons
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Election ’07, Colbert, Congress and Beyond!
NOTES ON THE STATE OF POLITICS Election '07, Colbert, Congress and Beyond! We've been away for a while, traveling America discussing our new book, A More Perfect Constitution. The opportunity to discuss the U.S. Constitution--and what might be done to improve it--has been a special one, and I thank the thousands of people who have attended lectures and come to book-signings … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Election ’07, Colbert, Congress and Beyond!
“God, I Love Freedom!”
Here's one of the stupidest and most ignorant things George W. Bush has ever said: If you lived in Iraq and had lived under a tyranny, you’d be saying: God, I love freedom, because that’s what’s happened. And there are killers and radicals and murderers who kill the innocent to stop the advance of freedom. But freedom’s happening in Iraq. And we’re making … [Read more...] about “God, I Love Freedom!”
New FBI Warning: Al Qaeda Plans U.S. Mall Attacks Holiday Season
There's yet another warning about a planned Al Qaeda attack in the United States -- and the danger is that the political contamination of the terrorism issue, the perceived use of it by the Bush administration in past elections, and a jaded public could mean a serious warning could be shrugged off when and if it comes. News reports suggest there is already some question … [Read more...] about New FBI Warning: Al Qaeda Plans U.S. Mall Attacks Holiday Season
Show Me the Money
I've already written about Tyrant Musharraf here and here -- on what he is doing in Pakistan and to the Pakistani people, as well as on his friendly alliance with Bush and Bush's reaction to his power grab. For an excellent analysis of the situation, I highly recommend this piece -- "The Freedom Agenda Fizzles" -- by Fred Kaplan at Slate. Here are a few of key passages: The … [Read more...] about Show Me the Money
Overrode!
GWB's veto of the water bill has been over-ridden by Congress. Senate Overrides Bush Veto on Water Bill By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 7 minutes ago The enactment of the $23 billion water resources bill marked the first veto override of the Bush presidency. … [Read more...] about Overrode!
Reader Tip
If, like me, your browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 6.0, you may notice, as you scroll down the page, that some of the lines in "block-quote" sections of our various posts appear to be missing or jumbled. That issue is purely visual and not a code problem. A simple "refresh" of the page should correct it. … [Read more...] about Reader Tip
Should Cannabis Production Be Encouraged in Afghanistan?
In some areas of Afghanistan, according to a recent article in the NYT, poppy eradication efforts have led Afghani farmers to begin growing a new crop: cannabis. Matt Eckel, over at FPW, has written a detailed post suggesting that this switch might not be such a bad thing. In fact, he makes the argument that government and military officials should actively encourage the … [Read more...] about Should Cannabis Production Be Encouraged in Afghanistan?
Freaky Headlines
One for the list ... Hoffa steals the show at Nixon rally That headline would have probably turned a few heads 35 years ago, and it's especially jolting with a dateline of November 7, 2007. But no worries. Neither the Hoffa nor the Nixon of infamy has been resurrected. Here's the real story. … [Read more...] about Freaky Headlines
Dennis Kucinich Impeaches Cheney
RJ Matson, Roll Call … [Read more...] about Dennis Kucinich Impeaches Cheney
Poll Shows Clinton-Giuliani Presidential Election Tie And Clinton’s Weakness (UPDATED)
A new polls shows a tie between Democratic New York Senator Hillary Clinton and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani if a presidential election was held today -- and indicates trouble down the political pike for Clinton that her handlers...and her party...will have to anticipate and counter if she is to be elected. The poll shows Americans have decided turned away from … [Read more...] about Poll Shows Clinton-Giuliani Presidential Election Tie And Clinton’s Weakness (UPDATED)
The Enemy Has Changed But Not The Air Force. It’s Time To Clip Its Wings
The F-22: A $362 Million Baby (Apiece, That Is) You know that we live in unusual times when Congress has seen the light and is resisting replacing the U.S.'s mainstay fighter jets with an incredibly expensive Cold War throwback and there are questions about whether the Air Force itself has outlived its usefulness. The F-15 Eagle is the Air Force's current all-weather … [Read more...] about The Enemy Has Changed But Not The Air Force. It’s Time To Clip Its Wings
Gay Rights: The Religious Who Teach Non-violence, Non-condemnation of GLBT
Rev. Bob Graetz, friend of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., has criss-crossed the country, preaching and teaching, including in the heartland of America, the Midwest, which is mis-touted by some as a bastion of conservatism that is purported to condemn and freeze-out anyone who doesn’t conform to a narrow principle. But, no one informed The Gateway-St. Louis … [Read more...] about Gay Rights: The Religious Who Teach Non-violence, Non-condemnation of GLBT
Chris Cillizza of The Fix on the 2008 Primaries
The 2008 Primaries: A Long, Hard Slog? For a while, it looked as if the 2008 presidential primary season would be over in the blink of an eye, with a few big names raising and spending unprecedented sums and the outcome for both parties determined by early February. This scenario gained traction after more than two dozen states moved up their caucuses and primaries to the … [Read more...] about Chris Cillizza of The Fix on the 2008 Primaries
The Barbour of Mississippi
It's difficult for me to imagine anyone with a soul electing Haley Barbour to anything -- but here he is, handily racking up his second term as governor of Mississippi. Apparently, he has his eye on the 2008 GOP VP nomination. To which I say, if Democrats can't exploit that, they don't deserve to win. … [Read more...] about The Barbour of Mississippi
Brownback re: McCain
Some readers may be interested in Sen. Brownback's specific reasons for endorsing Sen. McCain for the GOP nom. The following three paragraphs are excerpted from a letter signed by Brownback and distributed by McCain campaign staff: This morning, I flew to Iowa to join and endorse my friend, John McCain, for President of the United States. John McCain is a true American hero … [Read more...] about Brownback re: McCain
Musharraf’s Crackdown
Every account that I've read of the recent developments in Pakistan has suggested that Musharraf has declared a state of emergency in order to go after the liberal opposition. It's the media, political party activists, pro-democracy lawyers and others who are being targeted; it's not the Taliban and other radical militants. As Arif Rifaq noted in The Baltimore Sun yesterday, … [Read more...] about Musharraf’s Crackdown
My Open Letter to Rep. Mark Souder on ENDA
The US House of Representatives is discussing ENDA right now and you can watch it on C-SPAN. You can contact Rep. Mark Souder, a Republican from Indiana's 3rd District, HERE. Dear Rep. Souder, I lived and voted in the State of Indiana for 24 years, from 1976-2000, graduated from IU and am a former employee of the State of Indiana. I moved back to Ohio in 2000 and am both … [Read more...] about My Open Letter to Rep. Mark Souder on ENDA
“I Veto, Therefore I Am”
That's the new theme of the Bush Administration. In 1948, Harry Truman got to the White House by railing against a Republican "do-nothing" Congress, and George W. Bush is using the tactic in an effort to stay "relevant" as he prepares to leave the Oval Office. "Congress has little to show for all the time that has gone by," he complained at his last press conference, a … [Read more...] about “I Veto, Therefore I Am”
Behind Today’s Endorsements
Shaun Mullen beat me to the punch on the Robertson-Rudy endorsment, but there is another endorsement of some note in the GOP race: Brownback for McCain. Politico has the details on both. And what are we to make of all this noise? The Brownback-McCain pairing is logical and (though not yet official) may already be helping McCain who (discounting margins-of-error for … [Read more...] about Behind Today’s Endorsements